1106 The American Naturalist. [November, 
was the nest, containing two young. Later in the day I found another 
nest near the base of a tree, which was concealed by dead leaves only, 
being nearly covered by them. A dead branch served as an arch or 
doorway to the nest, which contained three eggs. These nests were 
made of dead leaves, strips of bark and grass, and were lined with 
rootlets intermingled with a very few hairs. Woodland brooks abound 
in soft mossy masses of roots that are put forth by the trees growing 
near their beds, and it is probable that the supply of nest lining was 
procured from the stream near by. Mr. Samuels says in his ** Oology 
of New England Birds," that the nest is ‘‘ lined with cotton from 
ferns, soft grass, or hair."  Nuttall, in the description of the nest found 
by him, says, **the lining was made of a thin layer of black hair." 
Black and white creepers have several times been observed throughout 
the summer on the Island, but they were particularly numerous during 
the one just past, and this is the first recorded instance of the nest 
having been found here. 
‚A specimen of Zymnea palustris was presented by Mr. Davis, with 
the following memorandum : 
A species of fresh-water snail was collected some years ago in the 
brooks flowing into Old Place creek. It was quite plentiful there. 
The past spring a specimen was handed to Mr. Sanderson Smith, who 
pronounced it Zymnea palustris, an addition to the list of Staten 
Island Mollusca. 
The following objects, presented by Mr. Wm. Olliff, were shown: 
Fragments of a large decorated Indian pot, two celts or skin-scrapers, 
and several examples of concretions,—all from Tottenville and vicinity. 
A stone axe, found while digging a trench for gas-pipe on Richmond 
avenue, Clifton, was presented by Mr. James W. Allen. 
Mr. Thomas Craig showed plants of Zemna trisulca, an addition to 
the flora of the Island, found in streams in the Clove Valley. Also 
Azolla caroliniana, from the same locality, where it has evidently be- 
come thoroughly established since its introduction there by Mr. Samuel 
Henshaw in 1885. (See Proceedings for Dec. 11th, 1886.) 
The United States National Academy of Sciences.— 
The Academy met in Boston on November 11th and 12th. The fol- 
lowing papers were read : ! On the Primary Cleavage Products formed 
in the digestion of the Albuminoid, Gelatin—R. H. Chittenden. 'On 
the Classification and Distribution of Stellar Spectra—Edward C. Pick- 
ering. On the Relation of Atmospheric Electricity, Magnetic Storms, 
and Weather Elements to a case of Traumatic Neuralgia— R. Catlin 
